Photo Op
by alimination602
Summary: After Sasha makes an interesting discovery Ratchet is branded a traitor to Solana and is forced on the run with the help of his two female companions.
1. Chapter 1 Photo Op

Chapter 1- Photo Op

Ratchet crept silently through the alien halls of the Tyrannoid base, two Galactic Rangers following him closely as his backup. The bulkhead doors parted at the end of the corridor. A large shimmering green force field cut through the middle of the room, effectively separating Ratchet's squad from their final objective- the leader of the remnants of the Tyrannoid resistance.

Ratchet raised his hand, the rangers fanned out to cover him. He approached the control panel, tapping the controls. The screen flashed _ACESS DENIED_. Ratchet knew he would have to utilize some drastic measures. Ratchet drew his wrench, jamming it into the computer console. The circuitry crackled and fried, the force field shimmered and died. With the field gone a flurry of plasma suddenly flew towards him. Ratchet leapt towards a supply crate as plasma flew over his head.

"Rangers, take up positions and return fire" No response came. "Rangers!" Ratchet looked over his shoulder to see the Rangers standing at the door.

"Sorry Sarge. We have gotta report for a mandatory group therapy session. But we're sure you can handle yourself. See ya!" The soldiers ran down the hallway, the door closing behind them, leaving Ratchet to fight his enemy single handedly.

Ratchet rose over his crate, blaster raised. He noticed a figure stood atop the pile of crates, their cape fluttering behind them. They hefted a plasma rifle, staring down at him through the scope. The weapons targeting computer beeping gleefully, confirming it had a lock on him. "Ah, so who has the Federation sent to silence me? A commando? I'm flattered"

"What can I say, everyone else was busy" Ratchet leapt from his position, firing his weapon blindly towards his elusive target. The bolts of super heated struck the weapons targeting computer, the soft metal melting away in the bandits arms. In a rage they discarded the crippled weapon to the floor, the metal clanking against the hard surface.

The thief unsheathed their vibrosword from its sheath, taking an offensive stance. Ratchet removed his own blade, mimicking his enemy. The figure launched from the pillar of crates, swinging their sword towards Ratchet. Ratchet raised his weapon, the sound of stressed metal screeching through the room as the weapons made contact. The creature dropped down behind Ratchet. Ratchet swung around, their blades meeting once again. Ratchet leapt over his attacker, the tip of his blade digging into the rubber of the back of his enemies covered neck. He smirked as a sense of pride ran through him; at the tip of his blade was the last leader of the Tyrannoid resistance. The thief swung on their heels, their blade slicing cleanly through Ratchets covered neck. Ratchets helmet clunked to the floor, his life-less body skewered at his enemy's feet. His open wound seeping blood onto the metal floor. The thief sheathed their blood stained weapon, sneering down at the lifeless body of their battered opponent.

"You know Ratchet you should never drop your guard, even when the enemy waits at the end of your weapon" His enemy mocked his broken corpse.

"Simulation Terminated" Called through the room. The dark brown walls of the Tyrannoid Base broke down into the crackling black walls of the Phoenix's VR room.

Ratchet rose from his virtual death, rubbing his neck, ensuring it was still intact. "You know, you didn't have to cut my head off" His opponent lifted they're VR helmet off their head, their dark purple hair fluttering free.

"Yeah, but I did it anyway" Sasha smirked at her humiliated sparring partner. Ratchet simply scrambled to his feet, striding straight past her towards the Locker Room. Sasha sighed as she followed behind him.

Ratchet clicked open the locks of his suit, lifting the torso section over his shoulders, wiping the stray bead of sweat clear from his brow. He placed the armor down on the bench, typing the code into the locker before him. Across the locker room he watched in the mirror as Sasha undid her belt, placing her weapon down on the bench beside her. She stretched her cramped muscles. Sasha stood frozen, her arms high in the air staring blankly into her locker. She looked over her shoulder at Ratchet, watching him stare at the mirror hoping to catch a glimpse of her. "Don't get your hopes up hotshot; I've got clothes under this armor"

She broke the lock on her armored gauntlet, exposing the rubber jumpsuit beneath it. Sasha continued to remove pieces of her armor, she reached into her locker for her brush, combing each loose strand of hair back into place. She sighed as she felt the calming feeling as each stubborn strand was restrained back into place. She looked into her mirror as she watched herself, until she froze.

She strolled across to Ratchets side as he closed his locker; Sasha reached out, jamming it open. She pushed the door open, reaching into the dark confines of the locker. Out of it she pulled out a small photo depicting herself, albeit clothed in nothing but her lingerie to protect her dignity.

"And where may I ask did you get this?" She hissed, waving the photo before his nose.

"Well ur. Last week I was tweaking the Spiderbot to be fitted with a camera, you know for reconnaissance missions. I decided to test it by sending it through the Phoenix's ventilation system and stumbled, by accident, across your room" He twiddled his fingers, guilt ridden.

"So you decided to take pictures of me naked?" Ratchet looked to the ground sheepishly.

Sasha gave him a fiery glare. She looked he photo over, flipping it in her hand. Her face suddenly sharpened, an evil glare growing across her face, until it slowly softened and she placed the picture back in his locker. "Next time just ask. I'm sure I can accommodate" Sasha winked before she walked out of the locker room, swaying her hips as she went.

"Fire!" The assault cannons flared as shells flew over his head, the canisters trailing grey smoke as they shifted towards the Tyrannoid tanks sitting upon the dry sand dunes. The missiles struck their targets, enveloping them in a plume of burning flame.

Ratchet raised his arm; around him squads of rangers broke ranks and ran towards the remainder of the Tyrannoid infantry. The breeze ruffled his fur as he crossed his arms over his armored chest, smirking as he watched the rangers break into teams, targeting each screeching, squealing alien as they ran for their lives, quickly gunned down by the pursuing robots. The last of the slimy aliens fell at robot feet, Ratchet standing atop a ranger tank snickering down at their victory.

A loud beep rattled through the terrain as the dust that flew through the air disintegrated into packets of data. The rangers looked around confused, still not used to the effects of VR training. Ratchet removed his helmet, looking over the droids before him. "Great job guys. Report to Al for a tune up, fix anything that needs fixing and report back here in two hours for the next stage of Advanced training"

They all saluted their sergeant as one, before leaving the VR Room towards the repair bay. Ratchet strolled towards the locker room. He dropped his equipment pack down on the bench, typing the code into his locker. He placed his helmet into his locker. He froze in surprise; his picture of Sasha had been stolen. In its place was a note. He removed the piece of paper; it read

_"Ratchet, if you don't want the identity of the photographer of this picture to circulate to the crew, the Galactic President and the several million Galactic Rangers at his disposal, return here at twelve midnight tonight. S."_

Ratchet crumpled the note in his gauntleted hand, he knew the culprit. But if he confronted them it would only do more damage to the situation than good, for now he must comply with their demands.


	2. Chapter 2 Imprisonment of Desire

Chapter 2- Imprisonment of Desire

Sasha Phyronix always hated her mornings. The drain of energy at thought of the oncoming day was usually more than enough to remove all of the life from her. She paced through the halls of her pride and joy, the _Starship Phoenix_. She only prayed that Al had fixed the caf machine as she felt that her ritual morning cup of caf would be the only thing which could sustain her long enough to keep her awake through her arduous shift.

She passed through the door into the ships mess hall. She found her fears unfounded as she watched the light on the machine blink on and off in sequence with the hum of its motor, waiting endlessly for someone to finally request its services. Sasha approached the machine, typing out commands of the controls. The warm liquid dripped into her plain white mug sitting underneath the machine. She removed the cup; she sniffed its warm contents, the hot steam wafting through her nostrils a symphony to the taste that danced across her tongue with her first sip.

With her coffee in hand Sasha continued her walk through the tight ship corridors towards Ratchet's quarters. The metal doors parted for her as she stepped into the dark void of his room. Sasha activated the overhead lights, a primal groan resonated through the room in quick response.

"Ratchet?" She called out.

Another deep groan. Sasha walked across to his bed to find him where right where she expected, collapsed across his bunk bed, a sheet covering his shirtless, furry torso. Sasha pocked his exposed ribs in an attempt to wake him from hid slumber, but he just batted her hand away in a futile attempt to remain firmly in place. She had to do this more forcefully. She reached down and clasped his side, shaking him violently she wrested him from his peaceful slumber. He rolled off the edge of the bed, collapsing loudly on the floor, entangled in the sheets and dressed only in a pair of boxers.

"Nice to see you awake" She smirked down at him.

He looked up at her, his face awash with surprise and annoyance. "Euurh. Why did you wake me up?"

She smiled mischievously, poking him in the stomach. "Come on. Dad wants us on Marcadia for a meeting today" Sasha placed her cup on the table. She scooped a clean jumpsuit off of the sofa and threw it at him. He rose onto his elbows, the jumpsuit hitting him square across the face dropping him to the floor once again.

"Get dressed; he wants to meet us again as soon as we hit Marcadia. We'll be there in less than an hour". She picked up her cup of caf from the tabletop and headed for the door.

"You're not goanna stay?" Ratchet said with a snide smirk. She sighed as she turned to face him.

"I've already seen what's under those boxers hotshot" She gave him a suggestive wink. "Not too bad" She resumed walking out through the open doors.

The light of Marcadia's second sun shone through the thin curtains that wavered gracefully in the window to hit the President square in the eye. "I need to get thicker curtains" He mumbled to himself. He raised his hand to his eye to shield himself from the blinding light.

Sliding out of bed he yawned with a roar that would rival the battle cry of his Ancient Warring ancestors of Cazara. He walked into his ensuite bathroom and after showering and washing he donned his Presidential robe and left his now empty bedroom.

Once he was in the corridor he was met by his two burly security guards positioned on either side of the door. "Good Morning Sir"

He waved his hand at the guard. "You too Bob"

The President set off down the corridor. Behind him he heard Bob's voice, a low hush in the background. "The Big Man is up and about. Repeat, the big man is up and about. Over"

As he turned the corner the President was met with his personal assistant Anya. The young Cazar matched his pace, ready to detail him on his schedule of the day. She held a large stack of papers and a personal organizer in her thin arms as she clutched them both tightly to her chest. "Good morning sir. Today you have a meeting with the Galactic Transport Minister at nine"

She rummaged through the papers that she held to her chest tightly in her arms. She pulled out a folder and handed it too him. "And you have a meeting with your daughter and Mr. Ratchet to finish discussing your plans for the reconstruction of the Galactic Military. Here's the dossier I have prepared for you"

The President pushed it away with one large hand. "Just leave it on my desk with my cup of caf and I'll deal with it.

"Yes sir" With that Anya scurried away to her task.

The President continued his leisurely stroll through the Presidential Palace, finally coming across a door that which lay slightly ajar. He looked inside to see it was Sasha's room. He stepped inside to see the drapes were still drawn. He walked across the room, flinging the light material apart, the room now awash with clear early morning light. He looked across Sasha's room- the Hover Board racing posters splashed across the walls, the VG 9000 hooked up to the TV that dominated the far wall. She spent so much time away commanding the _Starship Phoenix_ that she rarely spent more than a few days in this room any more.

Coming back down from his thoughts the President remembered that he still had to review the dossier before his meeting this morning. He briskly walked towards the door to return to his work. But in the process of doing so he clipped his large leg against the sharp corner of the desk the impact sending several books and their content crashing to the floor in a heap.

He brought his knee up, his hands clasped at the injured joint. As the pain eventually subsided he knelt down to scoop the discarded contents of the book from the floor. He picked up some of the books, laying them back on the desk. He suddenly realized that the discarded papers on the floor were in fact

As he drew closer the papers on the floor turned out to be photos. He scraped them off the floor; the first image was of Sasha. Only she was half dressed in her room aboard the Phoenix, looking as if she was in the middle of changing. The camera angle suggested that the picture must have been taken from a security camera or something. He crumpled the photo in his hand. "No one treat's my daughter like a piece of meat!" He snarled. "Whoever was responsible for this is going to face the full force of my anger". He felt the anger boil and writhe inside him. "Roar! In a fit of anger he slammed his fists down on the desk, nearly sending a crack tearing through the wood. One of the photos slipped free of his iron grip, gliding gracefully onto the desk. The Presidents eyes snapped to the photo, his eyes burning with pure rage. The image was of Ratchet in his underwear, laid out across a silk bed. "That sick bastard!" He slammed his giant fist down on the photo; the President knew exactly who to exact vengeance upon.

Sasha's boots slammed down onto the concrete floor of the landing pad outside the Main Entrance to the Galactic Palace. Ratchet jumped down from his fighter, landing gracefully next to her.

"Sasha!" The booming voice of the Galactic President called out. He came walking out of the Palace, his huge feet stomping across the polished concrete. The President reached his daughter, squeezing her into a crushing fatherly hug. She wrenched herself free of the vice of her father's grip. The Presidents eyes rose to Ratchet, his eyes turning from the beaming joy of seeing his daughter again to the flaming red of all hells fire at the sight of Ratchet.

"Hello Ratchet" He fought to keep his voice level, all those years in politics was finally being of use. He raised his hand, as a forced sign of greeting.

"You too Mr. President" Ratchet took his hand, shaking it.

"Nice too see you and Sasha are so close". Ratchet could taste the glint of anger in his voice.

"Oh we are very good friends" Ratchet squeezed his hand slightly harder, just to ensure his point was made.

"Oh, you're going to get it you little" The President thought to himself. He leant his chin slightly to the right, compressing a small switch concealed in his collar. He released his hand from Ratchet's iron grip. The President looked out across the open sky above the Palace. Sasha followed his gaze, trying to decipher what exactly he was searching for.

"Something wrong dad?" Sasha questioned innocently.

The Presidents train of thought shattered. "Ugh, no" He stepped to one side, motioning them forward along the pathway towards the palace. "Shall we?". Ratchet and Sasha walked forward, the President bringing up the rear as they strode towards the dominating palace Grounds. "_Where are they?_" The President once again looked to the skyline, searching.

Just as they were half way along the walkway leading into the palace the sound of a Dropship resonated against the high walls. "_About time_" The pres thought to himself. Sure enough a Federation Dropship suddenly rounded the east side of the Palace, the main hatch lowered as it drifted through the sky. The ship hovered over the landing pad.

A squad of Galactic Rangers leapt from the open hatch, slamming down onto the concrete walkway, the sound of their metal feet cracking the ceramic floor resonated in Ratchets sensitive ears. Two of the Rangers blocked the route back to Ratchet's fighter, the other two securing the entrance to the palace. They were surrounded.

Before anyone could even react, the Rangers raised the blasters welded into their arms. "Freeze!" Their weapons were trained directly onto Ratchet. These were not the standard Rangers that Ratchet had fought alongside with on numerous missions- these Rangers casings were the tar black reserved for Special Forces commandos. Their belts were lined with a full arsenal of weapons and Gadgets that Ratchet had seen or used in his military career as well as some that he had heard the Gadgetron techs were working on, but as of yet were still to be released.

Ratchet's military instinct kicked in, he reached for his blaster. Two of the rangers fired, claws shot from the barrels of their weapons, connected to the gun by long metallic cables. The claws latched onto Ratchets wrists. As soon as the locks were engaged Ratchet felt a storm of electricity surge through his body, every nerve in him burning as his armour did nothing to shield him from the dual blasts.

Another symptom accompanied the pain. As his reflexes instinctively forced him to reach for the hot spots of pain he felt his muscles clench, ensuring that all control of his muscles was confiscated from him. The other two rangers surrounded him, pushing Sasha and the President out of the way as they secured their prisoner. Through the few seconds that had passed Sasha was stunned and Ratchet was in no position to make sense of anything but the President remained completely un-phased, as though nothing was happening.

"Hey! Get away from him!" Sasha screamed as she watched the Rangers scrambled around Ratchet. Sasha threw herself forward, trying in vain to throw the first ranger off balance, only to be thrown into the waiting metallic arms of the second Ranger, the solider holding her tightly against his chest. "Captain Phyronix, please. Stand down" The trooper spoke in their usual monotone voice.

She beat at his armored chest relentlessly, only succeeding in bruising her hands concealed by her purple elbow length gloves. As soon as the Rangers were sure Ratchet was secure the President stepped forward, Sasha was moved out of the way by the Ranger still clutching her tightly to his metal chest with one arm.

"I knew Special Forces Rangers would be necessary to arrest you" The President leant down to stare into Ratchets confused yet determined face.

"Arrest me! For what?" Ratchet screeched as he strained against his binds, only to feel his muscles well and truly hypnotized by the electric blasts.

"Don't lie to me! I found the smut you took of Sasha!" He reached into his pocket, throwing the collection of photos to the cracked concrete floor.

Sasha eyes shot open when she saw it what he was referring too, the realization hit her hard. This was her fault. "Dad! No, it was-"

But she was cut off when her father spoke again in his booming voice. "Ratchet. As punishment you are now stripped of your military rank and dishonorably discharged into exile"

"What!" Ratchet shrieked.

"Dad you cannot be serious?" Sasha pleaded, still being restrained by the Ranger.

"Take him away" The President threw his arm round into the air, directing the Rangers into the palace grounds. The troopers pulled Ratchet to his feet, dragging him along the concrete walkway. The President turned, watching as the Troopers escorted Ratchet inside of the Palace. Sasha stared her dad down- face was a mix of anger, shock and utter disgust. "Dad. How could you?"

The President snapped to face her. "How could I not! He was a delinquent Sasha" He rolled his hands into tight fists. "Whatever he gets is far more than he ever deserved"

That was the last word on the subject. Two days later command of the _Starship Phoenix_ was transferred to Captain Torn, a Cazar officer who served as one of the Galactic Presidents lap dogs, as the ship was being used for Ratchet's transfer to the distant mining colony on Derman.

Sasha meanwhile was confined to her room within the Palace on Marcadia. But she was not going to surrender while her first love was carted off to the edge of the galaxy for her mistakes, she had a plan. Sasha sat in her room, her father had instructed her to remain grounded until the _Starship Phoenix_ returned to Marcadia in a few days.

She lay on her bed, running the plan through her head over and over. Every thing was planned, every detail carefully laid out, every contingency prepared. All except one. She reached for her communicator on her bedside table. Typing in the code the device hovered into the air in front of her as she sat cross-legged on her bed. The screen crackled with static, finally clearing to reveal the bright yellow sun of Angela Cross's face. "Sasha. What's going on?"

Sasha was surprised that she instinctively assumed it was bad news, but she assumed that it was written plainly across her face. "It's Ratchet. My Dad just had him arrested by the Galactic Rangers. And he is having him exiled on a mining colony" Angela was speechless.

"Oh god he found them didn't he?" Angela's face was covered in shock.

"Found what?" Sasha asked.

Angela pulled her hands up to her mouth. "You know. Whatever you and Ratchet were…" Angela trailed off, expecting Sasha to fill in the blanks. Only to be met with silence. "Don't look at me like that!" Angela broke the awkward silence, her voice laced with defensive rage. "Now I assume you have a plan to get our boy out of this?"

Now it was Sasha's turn to don a smirk. "First of all, he's my boy. Not ours. Secondly, yes. But I am goanna need a partner who just happens to be an ex-master Thief".

Ratchet sat in his cell, his back pressed against the side wall. The pulsing red field before him looking out over his former room aboard the Starship Phoenix, now being used as a makeshift holding area during his transfer. The bars of Qwarks cage had been moved closer together to ensure that the slim crafty lombax would not be able to simply slip through the bars if the power were shut off.

Ratchet had accepted his fate long ago. But these thoughts were easily shattered when he heard the doors swing open and the clanking sound of steel toed boots against metal. But it was not the rhythmic clanking of the Galactic Ranger guard bringing him his meal, or the pounding crash of the Galactic President coming to emphasis his coming demise. Instead these footsteps were graceful and timed, as though they were trying desperately not to be heard. His theory was confirmed when he saw two figures cloaked in dark robes step through the doors, their faces obscured behind jet black fabric and flowing hoods. They entered through the door, scanning the room for any possible threats before approaching the containment field that separated his cell from the rest of the galaxy.

The first figure was at least a head taller than the other. Ratchet rose to his feet, watching the two figures as they approached. "Who are you-" He was cut off.

"Shush!" The shorter one stepped forward, raising a finger to where their lips were behind the dark veil of the cloak. They gripped the fabric of their hood, flinging it over their head. Sasha smirked at him. "Hey hotshot". That certainly took Ratchet back a step.

"How did you get in here?" He really had no idea. Sasha had never really exhibited much skill with stealth, at least not enough to pass through a Federation Flagship undetected.

"Come on Ratchet" The other figure spoke. They stepped forward, flinging their hood back as they spoke. "Between an ex-thief and the ships former Captain you really don't think we would be able to find a way in?" Angela smirked at seeing her furry 'Protopet exterminating' friend once again.

"One thing my Dad should know about me by now. I am damn determined when I am angry" She placed her hand against the force field that separated them, not concerned with the tingling static feeling that coursed through her hand. "Or in love"

Ratchet smirked at the prospect of his future once again being in the hands of these two. "Then I assume you have a plan which involves me getting out of here?" Ratchet crossed his arms, ready to hear what they had contemplated for their daring escape plan. They each smirked at each other, as though they could send telepathic messages between one another. Or they had an idea.

"Oh we have a plan…" Sasha spoke.

"…a very good plan" And Angela finished.


	3. Chapter 3 To Bogon or Bust!

Chapter 3- To Bogon or Bust!

Ratchet threw himself against the wall of the corridor, his keen ears listening for noise in the perpetual silence, listening for the rhythmic clank of the Galactic Rangers metal boots as they patrolled through the labyrinth of corridors which honeycombed the interior of the Starship Phoenix. The corridor remained silent, Ratchet dared to poke his head around the corner, their path appeared clear. Ratchet stepped out into the open, keeping his blaster held tightly in his hands. Ratchet motioned Sasha and Angela forward, the two of them followed closely in his step.

Ratchet reached the end of the hallway, the corridor opened into the Phoenix's main hanger bay. Ratchet peeked past the lip of the corridor; the hanger was devoid of the army of technicians and Galactic Rangers who usually patrolled the spacious room. Ratchets personal ship hovered at the far end of the hanger bay.

Ratchet and his companions covered the distance across the hanger bay in moments, each person occasionally glancing over their shoulders just to satisfy their building fears that no one was behind them. The three of them stood in front of the craft, a serene glowing field blanketed the ship in a tranquil blue cloud. Ratchet activated the ship's canopy, stepping up onto the fighter's wing he leapt into the pilot's seat. He activated the ships systems in order one by one. The engines whirred to life underneath him, the fighter rising off of the hanger deck. The systems suddenly faltered, the engines whirring deadly just before they reached their required threshold, the craft falling back onto its hover support to keep it from smashing into the deck. Ratchet poked his head out of the cockpit. "Engines are locked down"

"I've got it" Sasha circled around the crafts nose, approaching the hanger console built into the deck just off of the fighter's wing. Sasha typed out a series of commands on the console, searching for the commands required to release the craft from its restraints. She just needed a little more time.

Galactic Federation Captain Hunter Torn sat in the command chair on the bridge of the Starship Phoenix. After the previous Captain had been forced to relinquish her position Torn had accepted temporary command of the Galactic Federation Flagship for the duration of the prison transfer of the convict 'Ratchet' to one of the Federations remote mining colonies to serve out his sentence. There had been many rumours circulating amongst the crew as to exactly why the three time galactic hero had suddenly been condemned by the very government he had helped to preserve- some rumours had even emerged concerning the Galactic Presidents daughter. He had decided to allow this baseless gossip to circulate, as prohibiting it would only entice the crew further. However Torn was the only officer to know the true extent of his crimes- and to preserve the reputation of the President and the Federation he had been sworn to secrecy. With the prisoner sealed securely in the recently upgraded brig the operation had so far been uneventful.

"Captain Torn?" One of the Galactic Rangers operating one of the bridge command consoles turned to address his commander.

The Cazar Captain turned in his command chair to face his subordinate. "Yes Ranger?"

"Captain Torn, I am detecting an unauthorised engine start in the main hanger bay" The Galactic Ranger typed out commands on his console. "Bringing it up on the main view screen"

The blank viewscreen suddenly erupted in a flurry of static, the interference eventually clearing to reveal a camera view of the Phoenix's main hanger bay. The view showed the convicts ship docked at the far end of the hanger bay, surrounded by two figures in dark black cloaks, their faces concealed behind masks. Torn noticed someone sitting in the pilot's seat- the convict.

Torn growled deeply in his alien throat. "Dispatch the Galactic Rangers. Apprehend the convict before he escapes"

"Sir, what about the accomplices?" asked the Galactic Ranger.

Torn stared at the viewscreen with burning red eyes "They released the convict from his cell. They are expendable"

Sasha activated the final system. "Alright" Ratchets fighter faltered as the restraints disengaged. "The ships free. Now let's get out of here before they realize you are not still sitting in your comfy prison cell"

Sasha ran around to the other side of the fighter she leapt onto the wing to drop into the co-pilots seat, only to find her partner in crime already occupying the co-pilots seat. "Sorry Sasha" Angela clapped her hands against her thighs. "You'll have to sit in my lap for now"

Sasha stepped down into the cockpit, sitting down into Angela's lap, the space surprisingly snug. "Cosy" Sasha giggled sweetly.

Ratchet gripped the jets control column tightly in his hands. "Hold on tight" Ratchets fighter levitated off of the deck, turning 180 degrees the ship blazed out of the hanger bay into the dark emptiness of space.

"The convict's ship has just taken off from the hanger" The galactic ranger reported.

Captain Torn slammed his fist against the armrest of his command chair. "Fire the main cannons. Cripple the fighter's engines. Do not let him escape"

"Wilco, sir" The Ranger returned to his computer. "Charging forward cannons"

"Ratchet!" Sasha yelled, pulling Ratchets attention towards the ships instruments. "The Phoenix's guns are locked onto us. They're preparing to fire!"

The main cannons of the Phoenix tracked their target across the vastness of space. The batteries opened fire in a flurry of laser bolts. The first barrage struck the fighters shield, the second barrage was evaded by Ratchets piloting skills. But Ratchet would not be able to evade them forever.

The Phoenix's bridge viewscreen projected one of the Phoenix's exterior cameras, watching as the convict's ship evaded the Phoenix's laser fire.

"How does the pursuit fare?" Torn asked.

"The convict's ship has taken several hits, his shields are almost depleted" The Galactic Ranger responded. "He will not survive long under this barrage"

"Captain Torn" Another of his bridge officers motioned for his attention. "Someone is attempting to contact us, bringing it up on the main viewscreen"

The viewscreen split, half displaying the camera view and the other half displaying blank static as a connection was established. "This is Galactic Federation Captain Torn. Identify yourself"

The interference slowly began to clear. "Sorry Captain Torn" A confident smile grew across Ratchets face. "But I am afraid you are going to have to be a better shot than that to stop me"

Torn rose high in his command chair, his posture straightening to radiate his authoritative tone. "Under the authority of the Galactic Federation I am placing you under arrest. Return to the Phoenix or I will be forced to open fire on you"

Ratchet smirked. "You may have more firepower then I do. But remember I served aboard that ship. And I know that even the Phoenix would have a hard time to keep pace. You would lose my trail in a second"

Torn lay back in his chair. "There is no place in the Federation you can hide, that I cannot find you. And I will find you"

"Well then I guess I will just take my two companions" Sasha and Angela appeared on the viewscreen, their masks removed and their identities revealed. "And find somewhere beyond your all seeing gaze"

Torn snapped upright "Frak" he cursed, turning to face one of the Galactic Rangers. "Cease fire, cease fire!" Torn rose to his feet. The Galactic Rangers typed out a series of commands on their consoles, the barrage of cannon fire suddenly ceased.

Torn turned to face Ratchet, his lips curled back, exposing his bladed teeth. "The President will not allow you to get away with kidnapping his daughter" He spat the words like a curse. "He will bring the entire force of the Galactic military down on top of you"

"Whoever said I was kidnapped?" Sasha retorted. "Tell my father I said 'Hi'" Sasha smiled sweetly.

"Ladies, say goodbye to Captain Torn" Ratchet smirked.

"Bye, bye Captain Torn" Sasha and Angela spoke in unison; they each leant forward and pressed their lips against the screen. The connection went blank, the Phoenix's exterior cameras watching as the convict's fighter made best speed out of the system.

Torn fell back into his command chair, his eyes closed. The exchange was over. Torn dropped his fist against the armrest of his chair. He rubbed the fingers of his left hand across his temples, easing the sudden wash of tension which had overtaken him. "Get me Galactic Control"

Ratchet piloted the fighter through the dark void of space, the perpetual silence after the incident aboard the Phoenix was broken only by Sasha asking the question they were all pondering. "So where CAN we go from here?"

Ratchet smiled smugly, turning to his partners in crime. "Well you heard Captain Torn. There is nowhere we can hide in the Solana galaxy anymore, so I guess we'll have to find a new galaxy to hide in"

Rain pelted the glass window of the Presidential Office overlooking the grounds of the Presidential Palace on Marcadia, thunder tearing the sky apart.

"Have you made any progress towards finding my daughter?" the Galactic President stared out over the Palace gardens.

Torn stood in front of the President's desk. "The convict's last trajectory indicated that they were heading towards the Bogon Galaxy, sir. But I am afraid that we were unable to pursue them any further as-"

The President turned sharply, his sharp teeth accompanying the primal roar of rage which resonated through his alien throat. "They kidnapped my daughter!" The President slammed his fists against the desk. "I want you to find those animals that took her!"

Torn choose his next words carefully. "I am afraid that it appears that your daughter is travelling with the escapee of her own free will"

"She is blinded by her own naivety" The President sat down into his chair; placing his head into his hands he rubbed his temples deeply. He looked up into the face of Captain Torn. "I want you to deploy all available forces to find her. Send the army, deploy a fleet. Requisition every ship in the Galactic Federation if you have too!"

"A fleet cannot track down three people in a foreign galaxy. We only suspect that he has fled to Bogon- deploying a large scale military force into Bogon without proper evidence will be considered an act of war. Ratchet is also perceived as a hero to the people of Bogon after the Protopet incident. If they discover that we hunting him they may attempt to shelter him, they may even resist our presence" Torn's military mind identified the potential outcomes.

"Then what do you propose?" The president growled. " I just leave my daughter in the hands of that animal?"

"Of course not, sir" Torn was quick to calm the president's fears. "It was the Phoenix and I who allowed Ratchet to escape. And it is I who will reclaim him and return him to Solana to face judgement"

"Very well" The presidents heavy eyes fell closed, his head falling forward. Torn turned to leave, but was suddenly stopped mid-step. "Do you enjoy serving as a Captain?"

Torn turned back on his heel to face the President. "Yes Mr. President. One of the greatest honours of my life has been serving in the Galactic military"

"If you secure the escapee I shall ensure to see you promoted to Major" A smile grew across the Presidents lips. Torn saluted and turned to leave. "But do not dare to fail. The Galactic Federation has little acceptance for failures"

The jet black fighter blazed down towards the cityscape surface of the planet wide city of Megapolis on the planet of Endako. Ratchet gently guided the craft towards the landing platform. The craft settled down onto the landing pad. The craft settled down on the landing pad, the engines gently whirring and dying. The cockpit canopy hissed open, the pilot and his companions stepping down onto the platform. Ratchet stretched his arms over his head, his muscles unknotting as he released the intense build up of tension. "Sorry about the tight squeeze" Ratchet stepped around to the nose of the craft. "But I am afraid the ship was only designed for me and Clank"

"I didn't mind" Sasha smiled, she deviously snaked her arm around Angela's waist. "And I don't think she minded either"

Angela giggled. "It was cosy"

Ratchet typed the code into the door computer. The door panels slid apart, the three fugitives stepping into the luxury of Clanks Megacorp apartment. "Wow" Sasha stepped out into the centre of the spacious apartment turning on her heel she surveyed the entire room in a 360 degree view.

"Clank is currently out filming his latest escapade as Secret Agent Clank" Ratchet followed his companions as they stepped deeper into the apartment. "I'm sure he won't mind if we hide out here for a while"

Sasha flopped down onto the couch, bringing her hands up behind her head in a truly relaxed pose. "I think I'm goanna like it here"


	4. Chapter 4 Maktar or Bust

Chapter 4- Maktar Resort or Bust

The Galactic Federation Dropship glided silently at best speed towards the surface of the planet beneath. Upon entering the planet's atmosphere the transport was forced to decrease its speed both to break its rate of descent as well as to avoid colliding with the thickening formation of traffic which hugged tightly to the peaks of the city planets towering skyscrapers. The manoeuvre was a necessary sacrifice to ensure that they could reach the target without incident, but in the end it may prove to be the forfeit which allowed the objective the necessary time to make his escape.

The Dropship began to slow to idle, hovering over the edge of the city walkway the loading ramp lowered down onto the elevated pedestrian street in front. The ramp struck the metal walkway with a resounding clang, Captain Torn immediately leading an entire platoon of Galactic Rangers down the loading ramp the moment it made contact with the walkway. The Federation soldiers stormed onto the empty city street, maintaining a brisk run as they charged through the open streets eclipsed beneath the long shadows of the towering skyscrapers. Captain Torn held his rifle tightly to his chest, refusing to allow his stride to falter as he continued to advance through the alien city, his Galactic Rangers following swiftly behind him.

Torn was grateful that the streets were empty, any civilian casualties could cause an intergalactic incident, even being spotted operating in the city could cause mass panic among the population, not to mention a mess of paperless-work when he reported back to Marcadia. As far as the population of Bogon was concerned neither he nor his team ever existed here.

The team reached the target location, the Captain and his soldiers forming up on either side of the heavy metallic door. With their weapons charged and ready he motioned the technician forward to place a hacking device on the doors control panel, the sophisticated technology interpreting and decoding the intricate security systems using programs and algorithms that Torn, as a simple soldier through and through, could not begin to comprehend.

While the Technician Ranger performed its duties Torn mentally prepared himself for the coming fight. The target he had been tasked to apprehend was an enemy of the Galactic Federation, as personally dictated by the Galactic President himself. However the subject was also a former soldier of the Galactic Federation, a personal operative of Megacorp CEO Abercrombie Fizzwidget and a hero of the citizens of the Bogon galaxy where they now resided. Ratchets record spoke for itself and painted a dangerous challenge for Captain Torn and his platoon. The fact that the target had enjoyed a significant amount of time to requisition any amount of support or reinforcements from his contacts in Bogon unnerved the Federation soldier. Captain Torns unease was not alleviated by the knowledge that his team had chosen to abandon stealth in favour of intercepting the target swiftly to avoid the risk of him eluding them once again or even daring to go as far as to threaten the President's daughter in a desperate effort to secure escape.

The technician serving as the teams' computer expert stepped back from the control panel. Captain Torn glanced at the Ranger and gave him a curt nod. The Ranger activated the button on his wrist gauntlet, triggering the door controls and disengaging the complex array of locks which secured the door in place. The door slid silently open, Captain Torn charged through the open breach, his weapon raised and scanning his gaze across the apartment before him, the squads of Galactic Rangers following in the wake of their leader.

Captain Torn stood frozen in the centre of the spacious apartment, his gaze scanning every corner of the large room which appeared to serve as the apartment's kitchen and living room hybrid. The room had the feel of having been recently lived in, the lingering warmth and scattering of stained dishes in the kitchen indicated that the apartment was inhabited.

The perpetual silence in the apartment was suddenly broken by the gentle hum of a ships engine being carried on the wind. Captain Torn stepped towards the window which dominated the far wall of the apartment, his heart sinking as he saw the dark black mass lifting off of the exterior landing pad, blazing off into the city. It seemed his plan of a precise and deadly strike had failed him. His prey had eluded him once more.

The mood in the cockpit of Ratchets fighter was far lighter than the stale atmosphere they expected currently loomed in the wake of their escape. "That was Captain Torn!" Sasha giggled beneath her breath. "How I wish I could have seen his face"

Ratchet laughed with her. "He's really not as subtle as he thinks. I mean storming through the entire city with a contingent of Galactic Rangers wasn't the most secretive way he could have-" the Lombaxes words suddenly trailed off as they finally pierced the planet's outer atmosphere, on the far side of the planet, in the darkness of space, hung the Galactic Federation Starship Phoenix. "It's the Starship Phoenix" Sasha was stunned. "I'm being hunted by my own ship!"

"It appears your father is willing to risk an intergalactic incident to get you home" Angela asked, fear seeping into her voice. "Have they identified us?"

"We just blasted out of the planet at full speed" Ratchets grip on the ships controls tightened. "We must be a blazing supernova on their ship sensors"

"Are they going to blast us out of the sky, they've certainly got the firepower?" Angela could hear the animal fear seeping into her voice.

"I'm not sticking around to find out" Ratchet engaged the throttle, firing the engines the ship suddenly leapt away from the planet. In their wake the Starship Phoenix turned on its axis to face its fleeing target. "I'm fairly sure they see us now"

Even as they turned to pursue the Starships weapons remained cold. "But they're not charging to fire at us" Angela said, watching as the Federation warship continued its pursuit.

"They want to bring Sasha back alive" Ratchet spoke, his voice laced with dark truth. "That means they're not willing to risk shooting us to disable our engines, they also need their Captain to return from the surface before they can pursue us" Ratchets lips curled into a smile. "That means we can do this!" Ratchet engaged the fighter's engines, blazing ahead towards the edge of the system. The Starship Phoenix suddenly slowed her engines, refusing to travel any further beyond Endako. At this rate the nimble fighter would be out of radar range within minutes, they would be free once again.

"We need to go somewhere hidden" Angela pondered her local knowledge of the Bogon galaxy. "Somewhere we can't be seen"

"Maybe not" Sasha interjected. "Maybe we need to go somewhere public, somewhere with crowds, somewhere we can hide in plain sight"

Angela and Ratchets gaze met, a devious smile forming on their lips. "Maktar Resort!"

Maktar Resort, nestled in the centre of the Maktar Nebula, served as the centre of fun and recreation for most of the Bogon Galaxy. The floating station was the perfect environment for the gamblers to wager their savings, the duelling fans to watch as contestants surrendered their lives in a spectacular fireball or buzz saw evisceration and where a galactic fugitive could hide in plain sight from the rest of the universe.

The trio moved with the flow of the crowd, concealing themselves amongst the vast number of other patrons of Maktar Resort. "Now remember" Ratchet spoke as they continued to walk with the crowd. "It's absolutely critical that we maintain a low profile while we're here. We can't risk anything which could allow Captain Torn to track us here-"

"_Hey, that guys a former Champ_" a passerby whispered beneath his breath at his buddy. "_He beat Chainblade and B2 Brawler at the same time!_"

"_Yeah, but he's probably washed up now_" his buddy responded. "_No way could he ever beat the new champ..._" the remainder of his conversation drifted away as they walked out of earshot.

"Chainblade" Sasha pondered the name, the only member of the group unfamiliar with life in the Bogon galaxy.

"Galactic Gladiators" Angela's said. "It's a big arena combat tournament here in Bogon. Ratchet was quite the star while he was here weren't you Ratchet?" Angela turned to face Ratchet, only to discover that he had disappeared from existence.

"Ratchet" Sasha called out his name into the open world around them.

Angela glanced around frantically in search of her lost companion. "You think someone got to him?"

"_Maktar Resort, we have a very special treat for you_" the booming voice of an announcer tore through the resort, drawing everyone's attention to the large viewscreen built into the main building of the resort. "_A former Galactic Gladiators winner has returned to face the new champion for the chance to win big cash prizes_" Ratchets promotion photo suddenly emerged on the screen accompanied by several feeds of his past victories. "_Coming up live on Mega-view, Galactic Gladiators_"

"This is not a good idea" Sasha sat down into the packed stands of the Maktar Resort beside Angela.

"I know, but there's nothing we can do to stop him" Angela admitted. "All we can do now is be ready to get him out of here before the new champ finishes rearranging his spinal column"

The overhead lights gently began to dim, the intense spotlights focusing on the main arena only separated from the stands by a steep drop into an electrified pit, as the announcer began the show.

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, it's the match you've all been waiting for. Welcome to Galactic Gladiators!_" the thunderous roar of applause split the air. "_Tonight is a very special contest. In one corner, Intergalactic Hero, Galactic Gladiators Champion and semi-professional starship mechanic, Ratchet!_"

Ratchet stepped out into the central spotlight, revelling in the roaring cheers of the crowd as they eagerly anticipated the coming match up. "_And in the other corner, the Terror of Maktar!_" the arena transport pod slid forward with a thunderous roar of its motor, the large transport carrier peeling open to reveal the creature inside.

The dark robot stepped out into the bright glow of the arena lights. Ratchets opponent was a Megacorp Security Robot, one of similar design to the hundreds of security bots Ratchet had encountered during his time in Bogon. This model however appeared to be a variant he had yet to encounter, its four spidery legs appeared to have been extended to allow the robot to move with additional speed and agility. Its casing was coated jet black with red trim, likely another device to strike fear into the hearts of their opponent. The reinforced armour casing was coated jet black with red trim, likely another device designed to strike fear into the heart of their opponent. The reinforced armour casing, extended plasma sword in its left gauntlet and the flame cannon on its right were also interesting additions.

The Megacorp Robot was not slow in its reaction to having acquired a new target, firing a supercharged ball of plasma Ratchet was lucky to evade. Ratchet rolled back onto his feet, drawing his Heavy Lancer in a single fluid motion he opened fire into the torso of the robot. The high velocity rounds splashed across the creatures' armoured chest, the last few of the barrage becoming absorbed by the blade of the creatures' plasma sword.

With his enemies' barrage stunted the Megacorp robot stormed forward with fire burning in the creatures' visor, its plasma sword descending to deliver the killing blow to the Lombax. Ratchet leapt to the side just as the flaming blade passed, the burning tip of the weapon scorched past his furry skin by mere centimetres. The robot, unable to maintain its balance after its wild swipe of its sword, stumbled forward and left itself exposed to retaliation. Seeing his enemies exposed weakness Ratchet quickly turned on his heel and plunged the barrel of his Heavy Lancer into the robots back. Ratchet squeezed the trigger, balls of concentrated plasma striking into the robots thinly armoured casing. The super heated plasma tore though the robots casing and fried its internal circuitry. The robot collapsed at Ratchets feet, defeated.

The arena suddenly erupted in a thunderous roar of combined cheers, Ratchet embracing the applause of the crowd at his victory.

"_Of course_" the voice of the announcer carried over the crowd. "_That was just a warm up fight to make sure our contestant hadn't lost his touch_" the thunderous roar of the crowd slowly began to subside. "_And here comes the true champion, the B2-Brawler II!_"

Ratchet turned to see the dark shadow of the true Maktar Champion descending over the arena. Down from the main viewing platform descended the robotic colossus with a thunderous crash of metal against metal as he struck the arena. The monster machine was a dark parody of its predecessor, where B2 had wielded duel plasma cannons on either side of its vast casing his predecessor had also been equipped with two additional appendages extending from the back of the creatures' hull. The long extensions were tipped with pulsating plasma blades, the sort of weapons usually reserved for the personal war machines of the galaxies craziest warlords and lunatics planning galaxy wide domination.

"_He may be young but don't underestimate this lean machine_" the announcer called through the open space. "_He's armed with so many guns and blades and missiles he makes B2 look like a Sand Cat pup!_" the announcers scripted smart arse remarks did not help fill Ratchet with confidence as his adversary advanced menacingly towards him.

B2 Brawler II delivered the first attack, lunging his plasma blade forward Ratchet dodged the attack by a hairs width, quickly opening fire with his N60 Storm into the monsters armoured shell. The barrage of plasma splashed across the robots armoured hull, administering little more than cosmetic burns across its armour.

"_B2 was programmed to show no mercy, this guy doesn't even compute the meaning of the word_" the announcers' voice carried over the torrent of laughs from the surrounding crowd.

B2 thrust forward with another plasma blade tipped arm. Ratchet dared to dodge once more. This time the machine drew blood, the fiery purple tip of one of the Brawlers plasma blades cut a thin red line across the Lombax's cheek. The blade continued forward and dug into the floor of the arena behind Ratchet. Ratchet rolled back onto his feet, ignoring the burning sting of the fresh wound he unloaded another volley into the robots armoured shell in an attempt to breach the dome holding the brain which maintained the very source of his power, his single weakness. In that moment he suddenly realized it, he knew what he had to do.

Ratchet drew his Decimator rocket launcher, swiftly took aim at his target and fired. The rocket flew across the sky towards the robot, slowly descending in a graceful arc before it struck the base of B2's large arachnid legs.

"_Looks like the Lombax fell short on that last shot, that is goanna cost him!_"

Throwing his previous strategy of evasion and countering to the wind Ratchet suddenly went on the offensive. Charging forward, dodging the incoming barrage of plasma rounds beaming down on him from the robots duel cannons, Ratchet came within range of his target. Ratchet leapt onto the leading foot of B2's damaged leg and drew his wrench from his back and began to pound away at the metallic surface.

"_Everybody hit the deck, this guy's crazy!_"

B2's leg rose from the arena platform. Ratchet clasped onto the leg as it bucked and writhed like a feral Barlowian Saur-Beast in an attempt to cast the rebellious attacker aside. But Ratchet continued to hang on, utilising whatever chance he had to smash his wrench against the fractured surface of B2's armoured shell. Ratchet delivered the final crushing strike against the monsters armour, fracturing the reinforced shell to reveal the intricate circuitry beneath.

Ratchet leapt clear of the thrashing tentacle, rolling back onto his feet on the floor of the arena, ready to finally deliver the knockout blow against the champion of Maktar Resort. Ratchet drew his Plasma Storm, took aim at his target and fired. The charged sphere of plasma shot across the arena in a flurry of sparks, striking the crack in the robots leg in a flurry of shattered metal.

The pulse of electricity shot up through the leg towards the central dome where the creatures multiple extensions joined with the creatures brain. The bolt of electricity fried the delicate organ from the inside, the heavy duty insulation designed to repel outside attacks only served to contain and intensify the unforeseen assault. The large mech collapsed to the floor of the arena in a flurry of flailing arms and fractured metal.

Ratchet stood dumbstruck, his heart racing in and his breathing franticly as the adrenaline which had flooded his veins slowly receded. While his opponent lay seemingly defeated at his feet Ratchet still fully expected the creature to rise back to its feet and return to the fray. When his opponent failed to return to the challenge Ratchet finally allowed himself to embrace the thunderous roar of the crowd around him embracing him in the warm afterglow of his victory.

The streets of Maktar welcomed their newest victorious champion with open arms. After his triumph against the B2-Brawler II Ratchet had left the stadium to be met with cheering crowds and excited fans each eager to catch a glimpse of their new hero.

As the crowd eventually, and rather reluctantly dispersed Ratchet left the main arena which dominated Maktars central hub and set out into the streets in search of his companions, yet even away from the Maktar Arena Ratchet could not help but draw the attentions of fans giving their congrats or asking for autographs.

"_Mr Ratchet?_" a young female voice stopped him in his tracks. "_Can I get your autograph?_"

"Sure" Ratchet turned on his heel in anticipation of another buxom, young fan eager to show her support for Maktars new champion. "So who should I make it out-"

Ratchet felt the surge of pain tearing through his body as the shock stick was jammed into his chest, his jumpsuit offering little resistance against the unexpected attack. Ratchet, unable to command his own muscles and with his senses sent into simultaneous overload, could do little more than collapse to the floor in a painful heap as he drifted into unconsciousness.

"_Hey fuzzball_"

Ratchet could feel himself slowly drifting back into the land of the living, though only by the dull throbbing assaulting his head.

"_Wake up you furry moron!_"

Ratchets eyes quickly snapped open when he felt the remains of a rather harsh slap burning across his cheek. He blinked to clear his vision, the haze of colour and vague shapes slowly forming into the dark shadows of two figures staring down at him with piercing blue eyes.

"_What the hell were you doing?_" the accusation rang in his ears. "_You just broadcast to the entire galaxy that we're here!_"

He must have blacked out. Whoever had ambushed him must have dragged him into a side street to avoid any unnecessary attention from passersby. "Huh?" was the only word which could slip past his lips.

The small figure held the lip of their cloak in their hands, pulling back the hood to reveal chocolate brown fur beneath. "You don't think my father's lapdog Torn won't see it and come running do you?"

The other figure revealed her as Ratchets other partner in crime. "For all we know he could be on his way here now!"

"Come on" Ratchet responded. "Do you really think-"

"Hold still" Sasha held Ratchets cheek in her hand, in her other hand she held a canister of Nanotech. Touching the device to Ratchets cheek he felt the cool burn as the light blue liquid washed over his skin, healing the cut sustained during his battle with B2-Brawler II. In the afterglow of his victory he had completely forgotten to treat the injury.

"Do you really think Captain Torn watches Galactic Gladiators?"

Ratchets words were overshadowed by the thunderous roar of starship engines. As if to confirm their fears a dark shadow flew overhead, though difficult to distinguish against the background of space they were certain it was a military transport. As the ship turned to touchdown on the nearby platform the insignia of the Phoenix was emblazed across the nose of the craft. The main loading ramp descended onto the cold metal plate, a formation of Galactic Rangers marched down onto the platform.

"Yeah" Sasha said. "I think he does"

Maktar Resort, once an opulent playground for the dedicated gamblers, career alcoholics and fans of Gladiatorial combat, was now awash with Galactic Federation soldiers dispatched with a single objective. Secure the Lombax!

From the shadows of a nearby alleyway the fugitives watched as a patrol of Rangers passed them by, remaining oblivious to the reality that their target laid mere metres, just out of sight.

"It looks as though Torn arrived pretty quickly" Ratchet stood in the darkness before his two partners in intergalactic crime. "And he brought an entire platoon of Galactic Rangers with him"

"They'll have the entire facility on lockdown in a few minutes" Angela said "We need to get to the ship"

"And then what?" Sasha asked. "Where can we go from there? If we alert any of the Galactic Federation troops they will call for reinforcements"

"She's right" Ratchet admitted. "Assuming they haven't already secured the ship or simply destroyed it they'll have the Phoenix in orbit ready to blast us out of the sky as soon as we attempt to leave the system" Ratchet turned to Angela. "Shame we couldn't just call in Thugs-4-Less right Angela?" Ratchet laughed.

"I think they went out of business after you escaped from their flying prison, destroyed their fleet with a single fighter and then stormed their headquarters to defeat their leader inside of a giant mech. Looks like we're on our own" Angela drew her pistol from her belt, checking the weapon over in her hands. "We'll just have to do it ourselves, fast and quiet"

"Those are my soldiers" Sasha clutched Angela's arm tightly in her hand. "I am their Captain, they serve aboard my ship"

"They were your soldiers, Captain Sasha" Angela retorted. "Now they march beneath a different Captain, and now they stand between us and freedom. I am afraid that we have been left with few alternatives"

"Wait" Ratchet said sharply, freezing his two companions in their tracks. "I have an idea"

Federation Captain Torn looked out across the artificial city of Maktar from his vantage point at the landing platform where he had first entered the city.

"What do you have to report Sergeant?" Captain Torn stood with back straight, with his hands clasped tightly behind his back.

"Sir" the Galactic Ranger snapped a mechanical salute to his superior officer. "The Ranger squads are spread across the entire station; they are currently in the process of sweeping the facility sector by sector"

"And, the fugitive" Torn asked with careful control over his voice, his fur bristling and his teeth glinting at the mere mention of his target.

"The Phoenix remains at the edge of the system broadcasting for all ships to remain docked or risk military interception, so far no ships have attempted to leave the station. The broadcast featuring Ratchet ended little over half an hour before we landed on Maktar, I do not believe the target could have departed the system before we initiated the lockdown"

"Never underestimate your opponent, Sergeant" Torn growled. "Underestimation is the reason he was able to slip through our grasp at Endako"

"Do not be concerned Captain" the Rangers thinly veiled assurances did little to calm the Captain. "We are secure on his trail and it will only be a matter of time-"

"The problem with hunting by a trail, Sergeant, is that by definition you will always remain behind your prey. We must get ahead of him quickly before he can escape the system-" Captain Torns communication unit beeped to life, raising from his belt the screen levitated before him, static burning across the screen eventually cleared to reveal the image of another Galactic Ranger.

"_Captain, I have an urgent message to relay_" the Ranger relayed his message.

"Go ahead trooper"

"_Sir, we've found the target_"

"Are you sure?" Captain Torn asked, his fur bristling at the prospect returning to the hunt.

"_Affirmative sir, my squad are observing the target from a safe distance and he remains unaware of our presence. We are prepared to advance on your order_"

Torns lips curled into a smile. "Excellent work trooper" Torn turned on his heel. "Is there any sign of the President's daughter?"

"_Negative Captain. Only the fugitive has been sighted, the remainder of the platoon are still searching, we will find her. Sergeant 602 out_" the screen fell black and the communicator automatically returned to its module at Torns belt. Captain Torn walked across the platform towards the walkway, motioning for his personal guard squad to follow in his wake. Reactivating his voice communicator he broadcast on an open military channel. "All Galactic Rangers converge on my signal, we have identified the target. I want all squads to surround the fugitive from every side; do not allow him to evade you. No one is to open fire if the President's daughter is sighted with the fugitive. I repeat, until the president's daughter is confirmed safe you must not engage the target"

"What is the situation Sergeant?" Captain Torn approached the Galactic Ranger leading the first squad.

"Sir, we have secured the fugitive. He is surrounded on the main platform up ahead" the Sergeant followed his captain along the walkway towards the target.

"And there is still no sign of the President's daughter or his other accomplice?" Captain Torn asked. Even though his sole objective in this operation was the capture of the fugitive and his return to the Solana Galaxy for trial the safety and security of the president's daughter took priority. Even though she appeared to be travelling with the fugitive of her own free will Captain Torn refused to accept such a preposterous reality. However, despite his reservations, Captain Torn had to accept that if they were surrounded the daughter may dare to throw herself into harm's way in an effort to save the fugitive if he did not already use her as a human shield first.

"I'm afraid that's a negative Captain" the Trooper almost seemed ashamed to admit it. "There has been no sign of either of them but I have every available unit continuing the search"

A dozen scenarios cycled through Torns military mind. A hostage situation to barter ransom or safe passage, a distraction to lure his soldiers away while she was taken out of the system, a drastic final stand to end in a blaze of laser fire once he knew he was finally trapped. Any outcome would spell the end of Torns career, and possibly even his life. He was therefore determined that this operation not fail.

"She must be found, trooper, it is now our top priority. The longer we delay the greater the risk that she could be-" Torn froze midstep; staring ahead he caught his first sight of the ring of Galactic Rangers encompassing the main platform with the captured target held in the centre. "That is... the fugitive?"

"Affirmative Captain" the two approached the main platform. "We held fire as you ordered. He has made no attempts to resist"

"You do realize that it's not real" it appeared that despite having invested billions of bolts in developing the Galactic Federations frontline soldier the R&D budget did not stretch far enough to infuse their soldiers with the ability to distinguish their target from an inflatable decoy.

The Galactic Ranger Sergeant stepped forward and poked the decoy target with the barrel of his plasma cannon. "It seems real to me"

In one fluid motion Captain Torn drew his pistol from his belt, firing a shot directly into the dummies head, the body exploding in a flurry of rubber fragments. The Galactic Rangers simply stood in stunned silence as their commanding officer addressed them. "It's a decoy!" Captain Torn waved his weapon in front of him in a frantic haze. "Ratchet must be around here somewhere. Search the station, I want him found immediately!" the Galactic Rangers quickly disbanded and charged out across the walkway leading deeper into the station. Captain Torn turned to face the Sergeant. "Confirm with Squad Three that the fugitives' ship is still locked down on the landing pad"

"Affirmative Captain" the Galactic Ranger Sergeant responded. "His ship remains locked down and secure, there's absolutely no way they will be able to escape the system aboard the ship"

The thunderous roar of engines suddenly erupted across the station like the precursor to a passing flight of Tyrannoid Dropships, across the nose of the transport ship was emblazed the insignia of the Phoenix. "Sergeant" Torn could only watch as the ship departed the station. "Please tell me that is not my Dropship"

Sitting in the cockpit of a stolen Federation Dropship, Sasha and Angela manning the co-pilots seats, Ratchet idly spun the decoy ball on the tip of the finger of his Decoy Glove. "It's all in the wrist"

The shuttle fell deafly silent as they each imagined the look on Torns face as it finally dawned upon him that his ship had been stolen out from under him, each fighting to suppress the urge to break down in an uncontrollable laughing fit before they had even truly made their escape.

"Now that we've escaped his ship, evaded his soldiers and now stolen his Dropship I'm guessing the Captain won't be up for a sit down to talk about letting us come back in peace?" Angela pondered.

"Torn is a fiery and determined soldier, he will not take this kind of insult lightly and he will not turn away from his duty. I think we need to find somewhere a little more secluded until this all dies down"

"I have a house on Greblin; the entire planet is a frozen ball of ice. No one ever goes there except the mad, the crazy and the Moon Cultists. There's no way anyone would be able to track us there"

The Galactic Federation Dropship swooped down through the thick snowstorm which eclipsed the surface of the planet, touching down on the landing platform across from the house the pilot settled the landing gears of the heavy craft down onto the slippery, ice covered surface. The snow would not delay in to consuming the craft, concealing it against observation from the sky, as if there was even anyone remaining on this frozen wasteland to notice their arrival except the old hippie, and his only allegiance was to the cosmos.

As soon as the craft settled the three occupants quickly scrambled out into the house, eager to escape the biting cold which blighted the planet. Throwing open the main door of the house, flakes of fresh snow being carried on the high wind spilling out to stain the carpet at their feet. The three were greeted by the two piercing red eyes and sparkling white teeth staring out of the darkness to greet them. "Hey little guy" at Angelas greeting the creature dared to step one bright blue foot from the shadows, followed suit by the fuzzy blue body of the Megacorp Protopet. The creatures piercing red eyes began to soften, his teeth curling into a devious smile the beast shambled forward to nuzzle into the armoured boot of his master with a warm purr deep within its alien throat. Angela knelt down to scoop her beloved pet up into her hands; the small creature forming perfectly into the palm of Angela's gloved hand. "Come on, we can rest in my room"

Ratchet closed the heavy door behind him in an effort to hold back the touch of frost in the wasteland beyond before following Angela along the corridor. The house was made up of several rooms branching off from the main corridor which ran the entire length of the house, with the front section of the house occupied by the kitchen and living areas while the rear of the house was dominated by the bathroom and main bedroom. As soon as Angela entered her room she immediately collapsed down onto her bed, allowing the soft pillows to cushion her impact beneath her back.

Ratchet and Sasha paced idly around the edge of the room, staring out of the large window which dominated the wall at the head of the bed looking out over the vast, frozen wasteland surrounding them. "Not that this isn't fun" Angela's voice broke the looming silence. "Being intergalactic fugitives, racing around the galaxy trying daringly to stay ahead of a pursuing Federation military ship, but what are we going to do now?" Ratchet and Sasha stared across at each other, each hoping the other would be able to offer a suitable offer to the question. "I mean, you guys can stay as long as you want, but eventually this 'Torn ' guy is going to track us down again and we'll simply have to start running across the galaxy all over again"

"Captain Torn is my fathers' personal war hound" Sasha said. "Once he has been let loose he will not surrender. Even if we remove him another will simply be sent with a greater force at his command" the dark realization finally dawned upon her. "If we want to survive we have to stop running. I have to face my father"

Ratchets muscles tightened at the mention of the Galactic President. "But your father is in Solana, we're fugitives, we would be arrested the moment we approached the system let alone enter the office of the Galactic President. Frankly the only way we are ever going back there is if Captain Torn or one of his lap dogs either shoots us or wraps us up in ribbons"

Angela suddenly leapt bolt upright on the bed, her mind clearly abuzz with a mind of a master criminal. "I know, I just got an idea"

Galactic Federation Captain Torn had served in the Federation Military since he had joined the Academy as soon as he had come of age to enter Galactic Service. He had defended his ship against a raiding party of ghost pirate robots, he had lead his platoon into the depths of Aquatos during the Sewer War and emerged with a dozen Sewer Crystals freshly extracted from the bowels of a King Amoeboid and on Marcadia he had lead the initial defence of the galaxies capital against the Tyrannoids armed with nothing but an N60 Storm and a Shock Blaster. As such it came as a personal insult when, having been directed by the Galactic President himself, he had not only allowed his prisoner to escape but had let the fugitive to slip through his defences and escape to a foreign galaxy with the President's daughter, elude him once again on Endako only to be tracked to Maktar after appearing in a live television broadcast and once more escape the Phoenix's entire force by stealing a Federation Dropship.

Captain Torn sat in his command chair on the bridge of the Starship Phoenix, rubbing his finger tips into his temple. He knew what would await him if he failed in his task. But suddenly it felt as though fate was smiling upon him, or so it seemed.

"Captain" one of the Rangers operating one of the main bridge consoles called for his attention. "We are being hailed on a secure military frequency, command level encryption. The ID signature is registered to the Phoenix's Dropship"

Captain Torn opened his eyes and removed his head from his hands, returning to his proper posture. "Put it on the main viewscreen"

The Phoenix's main bridge viewscreen crackled to life, the thick film of static clearing to reveal two figures dressed in jet black armour, draped in flowing dark capes which passed down beneath the border of the viewscreen. Their faces were concealed beneath masks with piercing blue slits where he anticipated their eyes to be.

"_Hunter Torn?_" the tall Hunter asked.

"Captain Hunter Torn" Torn retorted sharply, emphasising his rank with a hiss beneath his breath. "Captain Galactic Federation Starship Phoenix, identify yourselves"

"_That is of no concern_" the tall Hunter responded, something about them seemed familiar but Torns mind refused to acknowledge it.

"_I believe you are in pursuit of this Lombax?_" the camera panned outwards to reveal another figure crouched between the two of them. Golden yellow fur peeked through the neck of a skin-tight military jumpsuit, his hands secured behind his back and a blindfold wrapped tightly across his eyes.

"_We believe he is wanted by your government for escaping Galactic Federation custody?_" their voices were clearly synthesised, leaving little evidence of their identities. Their armour bore no faction insignias that would indicate allegiance or affiliation. There were no background noise or telltale signs that would give any indication of where they had acquired their elusive catch. The only indication was that they were clearly professionals.

"That is correct" Captain Torn said calmly. "But how did you know that?"

"_We are some of Bogons most feared Bounty Hunters_" the short hunter said. "_We make it our business to know when people of interest stray into our territory, especially those who have a price on their head_"

"We received intelligence he was travelling with two female accomplices, another Lombax and a Cazar" Torn carefully prised for any information of interest. "Has he given any indication of their whereabouts?"

"_He was alone when we captured him_" the short hunter said.

"_He is of little value to us_" the tall counterpart interjected. "_We should have simply released him by now, however we are willing to broker a trade_"

"What kind of trade?" Captain Torn asked.

The short hunter answered. "_I think a generous finder's fee would be appropriate, considering we just completed your assignment for you_"

"_Fifty thousand bolts_" the tall hunter said casually.

"For a single fugitive" Torn retorted. "I don't know whether I would be able to authorize such a substantial payment-"

"_Captain, if you do not wish to deal with us we could simply release the fugitive, at an undisclosed time and location, and allow you to resume your search_"

"There is no need-" Torn stopped abruptly midsentence. He knew that continuing could seriously hamper his attempts at negotiation, but he could not afford to allow his objective to slip through his fingers. "I am certain if you were willing to accompany me to the Solana Galaxy I'm certain the Galactic would be more than grateful-"

"_We are shadows, Captain_" the tall hunter answered. "_We spurn the spotlight in favour of operating beneath the eyes and ears of the galaxy. We do not seek political gratitude or media praise, merely our payment_"

Torn was unwilling to accept it. "If you claim you are loyal only to your payment then how can I be sure that you will surrender your catch peacefully once your gains have been made?"

"You don't" they replied bluntly.

It seemed that negotiations had been reduced to the point where either party simply questioned the honour of the other in search of some thinly veiled assurance that the deal could be done. "Very well" Torn dared to be the first to hold out an open palm. "I am transmitting the co-ordinates of my ship, the Starship _Phoenix_" the short hunter tightened their fists against their sides, fighting the urge to respond. "Bring the fugitive aboard and we shall discuss the arrangements further"

"As you wish, Captain" the tall hunter responded. "You best make sure you have our bolts ready when we arrive"

Galactic Federation Captain Hunter Torn watched the exterior camera feed of the incoming vessel with keen interest as the craft approached the Phoenix's main hanger bay. Much to his surprise it appeared that the ship coming in to dock was the Phoenix's Dropship, it appeared that the bounty hunters had been telling some amount of truth if they now found themselves in possession of the ship.

The Dropship docked in the Phoenix's hanger; the Galactic Rangers on guard duty stepped forward to greet the arrival. Captain Torn watched on the main camera feed as the ships main cargo ramp fell open, three figures dominated the crafts troop bay. The three to emerge were the Bounty Hunters Torn had communicated with, both still wearing their masks to conceal their identities, those piercing blue eyes that seemed to cut through him. Another shadow emerged to blot out the intense light from the overhead lights, the fugitive Ratchet had finally been returned.

The familiar tone of the motor as the Phoenix's main bridge door opened hummed through the bridge. Captain Torn turned on his command chair to face his arrivals, the three visitors flanked on either side by two Galactic Ranger escorts.

"Sergeant Ratchet" Captain Torn smiled. "It appears like your little trip around the galaxy has been cut short" Captain Torn noticed the vast array of fresh burns and cuts which marked his jumpsuit as well as the cut across his cheek which showed the recent touch of nanotech. "He seems to have taken quite the beating" Torn looked over into the mask of the tall bounty hunter. "Was that your doing?"

The tall hunter shrugged casually. "Sometimes they need a little encouragement to put on the restraints"

"Sometimes allot of encouragement" the short hunter interjected.

"Either way it's good to see you returned, Ratchet" Torn rose from his command chair, stepping down to meet his arrivals. "And I am sure the President will be eager to inquire as to the whereabouts of his only daughter"

"Captain, you can gloat on your own time" the tall hunter interjected. "We simply wish to receive our payment and depart"

Torn had hoped to deliver his target to the President directly without interference. It appeared these Hunters were either truly only interested in payment or they were aware of his true intentions and eager to depart, either way he would have to improvise. "Very well, I guess I also have you to thank you for the return of my Dropship"

"It was the ship he was piloting when we intercepted him" the tall hunter responded. "You can have that back as a gesture of good faith"

"And there was no evidence of any of his accomplices onboard?" Captain Torn asked. "He was believed to still be travelling with them when he was last sighted on Maktar"

"As we said, Captain" the short hunter interjected. "Our interest is merely in collecting our payment"

"Very well" Torn turned on his heel to retrieve a datapad lying on the arm of his command chair. "However before you depart I was wondering if you may be interested in another assignment?" Captain Torn reached to clasp the grip of the plasma pistol concealed beneath his uniform. "As I mentioned before we have also been searching for the Lombax's two female accomplices" Torn began to turn as he spoke, slowly drawing his weapon from its holster in preparation for his moment. "And I am sure the President would pay handsomely for any information of their whereabo-"

Captain Torn was greeted by the sight of the barrels of two pistols held in the hands of the two hunters. With their free hands they each reached up to hold their masks, pulling them free they discarded the unnecessary apparel aside. "You mean us?"

Captain Torn stared back at Sasha and Angela with fire burning in his eyes. "You were very foolish to return here" the sound of robotic servos rang clear in their ears as from either side of the bridge as well as the corridor behind emerged a squad of Galactic Rangers, their arm-mounted cannons raised in a clear indication of their intentions. "Now, arrest them!" the Captain ordered with a decisive wave of his outstretched arm. But despite his order the soldiers failed to answer the call and maintained their stance. "I said arrest them" Torn repeated, but still his robotic soldiers did not stray from their positions.

"They will not follow you Torn" Sasha said sternly.

"What?" Torn stood dumbstruck.

"They will not answer to your call" Sasha spoke with a reverential tone. "They will not follow you because you are not their leader"

"What do you mean?" Captain Torn growled. "I am their Captain, I am-"

"You were never their Captain. They followed you because there was no one else left to lead. But you forget that I have served as their Captain before you. And they see you for what you truly are" the Rangers turned their weapons to face Torn. "A man wearing a military insignia, nothing more"

Sasha stepped forward to stand toe to toe with the man who called himself the Captain. "Take him to the holding area"

The squad of Galactic Rangers lead Torn from the main bridge platform towards the shuttle connected to the hanger bay. "Wait till you see the accommodation we've got set up for you Torn" Ratchet stepped forward to address him. "I'm sure you'll find it just lovely"

"Tell me Torn" Sasha asked in his wake. "What did my father offer you to return me to him? How many shiny gold stars did he agree to pin on your uniform?"

Captain Torn stared back at the Lombax with fire in his eyes. "I did my duty to the Federation" he looked over his shoulder between Ratchet and Sasha. "It is more than can be said for either of you" with his peace made Captain Torn allowed himself to be escorted from the bridge.

Sasha turned back to face the bridge of the Phoenix, taking a moment to absorb every sight, sound and scent of the ship. Stepping forward she sat down into the Phoenix's command chair as though she belonged, quickly she felt her true self returning. "Navigation, set course for Marcadia, we're going home"


End file.
